"I just thought it was a little childish, a little ignorant," Nowitzki said before Saturday's practice at AmericanAirlines Arena. "I've been in this league for 13 years. I've never faked an injury or illness." Wade, who referred to Nowitzki's sinus infection Thursday as "the fun-loving story of him being sick," claimed Saturday that he didn't pretend to cough.

HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: The NBA Finals just got personal. At least, for the series’ three greatest superstars.

Yesterday, reports indicated that LeBron James and Dwyane Wade were mocking Dirk Nowitzki’s cough, implying that the Dallas Mavericks’ forward was pretending to be sick in game five to appear heroic.

These reports stem from a video of James and Wade walking down a hallway with security. Of course, Nowitzki fired backed, calling James and Wade ‘childish’ and ‘immature’.

James and Wade then blamed the media, suggesting the press was again vilifying The Three Kings and Miami Heat. Apparently, there was no intended slight at Nowitzki.

Let’s be straight: the Heat have to be feeling the pressure. They were picked to walk through the regular season and waltz to the championship.

It was supposedly a foregone conclusion that South Beach would be hosting a victory parade in late June. It hasn’t worked that way.

The regular season was full of ups and downs. Now they’re a game away from being eliminated by the less talented and less heralded Mavericks.

The pressure is on. And things will get awfully personal for the Heat’s two biggest stars if they don’t win game six and seven.
--Oly Sandor.
Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

“I’m not stressed,” Bosh said in Indianapolis on Tuesday. “At the end of the day, it’s a game (and) when I get out there, that’s going to take over. I don’t stress about too many things. It is what it is and whatever will be, will be.”